Isaak's music can be described as a blend of country, blues, rock'n'roll, pop and surf rock.
He signed a contract to Warner Brothers Records in 1984 for his first album "Silvertone". Isaak's contract was renewed in 1988 when Warner moved him to their Reprise Records label.
His best-known song is "Wicked Game". Though released on the 1989 album "Heart Shaped World", an instrumental version of the song was later featured in the David Lynch film 'Wild at Heart' (and also years later in the 2000 film The Family Man). An Atlanta radio station DJ began playing the full version and it quickly became a nation-wide top ten hit. The music video for the song was directed by Herb Ritts and was a big MTV and VH1 hit; shot in black and white, it starred Isaak and model Helena Christensen rolling on the beach, embracing and whispering in each others' ears.
In 1999, Isaak's "Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing" was featured in Stanley Kubrick's final film 'Eyes Wide Shut', starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.
In 2001, Chris Isaak starred in his own television show, 'The Chris Isaak Show'. It aired from March 2001 to March 2004 in the United States on the cable television network Showtime. This adult comedy show featured Chris Isaak and his band playing themselves with the episode plots based on fictional accounts of the backstage world of Chris Isaak - the rock star next door.
In 2004, his track "Life Will Go On" was featured on the 'Chasing Liberty' soundtrack, which starred Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode.
He hosted a talk show on the Biography cable channel in the United States in 2009 that offered a unique twist - each guest was a musical artist, and both Chris and the artist performed various songs throughout each show. Eight episodes aired in early 2009, featuring guests Trisha Yearwood, Stevie Nicks, Glen Campbell, Michael Buble, Chicago, The Smashing Pumpkins, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), and Jewel.
Isaak has also appeared in numerous films, mostly playing minor cameo roles, though he starred with Keanu Reeves and Bridget Fonda in the 1993 Bernardo Bertolucci-directed 'Little Buddha', and also played a major role in David Lynch's 'Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me' (1992). Other motion pictures include 'Married to the Mob' (1988), 'The Silence of the Lambs' (1991), 'That Thing You Do!' (1996), and 'A Dirty Shame' (2004). He also guest-starred on the Super Bowl Sunday (1996) edition of the television sitcom Friends and on the HBO miniseries, From the Earth to the Moon (HBO).
Chris is also an amateur boxer, avid surfer and a former Golden Gloves champion.
Graduation Day
Chris Isaak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Funny how things change.
Think of the good times wishing you were still with me.
The way it used to be graduation day.
Watching the stars fall a million dreams have all gone bad.
Think of all we had.
I knew all then thought you loved me I was wrong.
Thinking of a time when everything was right.
Thinking of a time with only you and I.
Makes me sorry that it had to end that way.
Learned my lesson now there's nothing left to say, graduation day, oh graduation day.
Thinking of a time when everything was right.
Thinking of a time with only you and I.
Makes me sorry that it had to end that way.
Learned my lesson now there's nothing left to say, graduation day, oh graduation day.
Oh graduation day.
The lyrics of Chris Isaak's song "Graduation Day" express the bittersweet feeling of nostalgia that comes with reminiscing about past memories. The song opens with the singer driving slowly and watching the headlights in the rain, which sets a melancholic tone. He then reflects on how things change over time, but he wishes that he could relive the good times and have his love back. Despite the heartbreak, he acknowledges that life goes on, and the day of graduation reminds him of both the happy moments and the lessons learned.
The chorus is a repetition of certain lines, creating a sense of longing and regret. The singer thinks of a time when everything was right, implying that something went wrong, leading to the end of the relationship. He also mentions that he was wrong about his partner's love, suggesting that there may have been betrayal or dishonesty. Although he learned his lesson, there's nothing left to say, indicating that he's come to terms with the reality of the situation.
Overall, the song portrays the universal experience of looking back on a past relationship and realizing that it's over. The sense of loss and yearning for the nostalgic moments is a relatable emotion that many people can connect with.
Line by Line Meaning
Driving slowly watching the headlights in the rain.
Going slowly down the road, watching the raindrops as they roll down the car, the headlights cutting through the mist.
Funny how things change.
It's strange how quickly things can shift, from those happy times to sad, from being with someone to being alone.
Think of the good times wishing you were still with me.
Recalling those wonderful moments, wishing that the person you shared them with could still be here by your side.
The way it used to be graduation day.
Reflecting on the past, on the times when everything was good and the joyous memories that once were, it's like celebrating graduation day again.
Watching the stars fall a million dreams have all gone bad.
Looking up at the sky, seeing the stars as they fall, and remembering all of the lost dreams from long ago.
Think of all we had.
Recalling all of those past memories, both the good and the bad, and recognizing how precious they were at the time.
I knew all then thought you loved me I was wrong.
Everything had seemed so perfect before, but it turns out that the love that was thought to be there wasn't as real as it was believed to be.
Life goes on graduation day oh graduation day.
Even though life and love don't always go to plan, life still moves on, just like on that day when everyone graduated.
Thinking of a time when everything was right.
Remembering that time in the past when everything just felt perfect, when nothing was too difficult, and everything was going your way.
Thinking of a time with only you and I.
Reflecting on the moments spent together with that special someone, that time when they were truly the center of your world and the only person who mattered.
Makes me sorry that it had to end that way.
Regretting how things turned out, when it is over and everything changed, wishing that it could have ended better and that there had been some way to make it work out.
Learned my lesson now there's nothing left to say, graduation day, oh graduation day.
Taking away a lesson from that past relationship, and recognizing that there may be nothing more to say or do about it, the way life moves on after graduation day.
Oh graduation day.
A concluding statement on how all of life's events, both good and bad, are like graduating from school onto the next stage of life.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CHRIS ISAAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maria Moreno Córdoba
Driving slowly watching the headlights in the rain.
Funny how things change.
Think of the good times wishing you were still with me.
The way it used to be graduation day.
Watching the stars fall a million dreams have all gone bad.
Think of all we had.
I knew all then thought you loved me I was wrong.
Life goes on graduation day oh graduation day.
Thinking of a time when everything was right.
Thinking of a time with only you and I.
Makes me sorry that it had to end that way.
Learned my lesson now there's nothing left to say, graduation day, oh graduation day.
Thinking of a time when everything was right.
Thinking of a time with only you and I.
Makes me sorry that it had to end that way.
Learned my lesson now there's nothing left to say, graduation day, oh graduation day.
Oh graduation day.
Boca Goodtimes
One of the greatest guitar solos of all time....incredible tone.
Daniel Grab
One of my favorite tracks ever, killer.
Kathryn Kittell
This is one of my favorite songs. Just brilliant! ❤️
Lucy Alice Nox
I had a cis girlfriend. I messed up big time and she broke up with me during finals week. Every day that summer I drove by a street named after her on my way to work. This is the song I would cry to in my car before my shift
stacey021375
I had forgotten how great this album was.
Gonzalo Valentín Toledo
Estoy leyendo el libro "Nocturno" y se menciona que el personaje Sasha Goodall pone está canción y otras dos de este mismo cantante, las he buscado a todas para tener una mejor imagen mental de la situación del protagonista. La verdad encontré un gran artista gracias al libro. Me pregunto si Dean Koontz escucha a diario a Chris Isaack
Ethereal Catholic
If you ever drive long distances by yourself,listen to this at night.(especially during rain or snow storms)
Shane B.
One of the greatest singers ever. If Elvis and Roy O. could be cloned together, it would be Chris Isaak.
No Name
With some ricki Nelson
Tracey Moore
I've thought the exact same thing.